The structure and propagation of laminar flames under autoignitive conditions

Krisman, Alex; Hawkes, Evatt R.; Chen, Jacqueline H.

doi:10.1016/j.combustflame.2017.09.012

The structure and propagation of laminar flames under autoignitive conditions

Journal Article · Sun Nov 05 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Combustion and Flame

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2017.09.012· OSTI ID:1429779

^[1]; Hawkes, Evatt R. ^[2]; Chen, Jacqueline H. ^[1]

Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Combustion Research Facility
Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (Australia). School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

The laminar flame speed s_l is an important reference quantity for characterising and modelling combustion. Experimental measurements of laminar flame speed require the residence time of the fuel/air mixture (τ_f) to be shorter than the autoignition delay time (τ). This presents a considerable challenge for conditions where autoignition occurs rapidly, such as in compression ignition engines. As a result, experimental measurements in typical compression ignition engine conditions do not exist. Simulations of freely propagating premixed flames, where the burning velocity is found as an eigenvalue of the solution, are also not well posed in such conditions, since the mixture ahead of the flame can autoignite, leading to the so called “cold boundary problem”. In this paper, a numerical method for estimating a reference flame speed, s_R, is proposed that is valid for laminar flame propagation at autoignitive conditions. Two isomer fuels are considered to test this method: ethanol, which in the considered conditions is a single-stage ignition fuel; and dimethyl ether, which has a temperature-dependent single- or two-stage ignition and a negative temperature coefficient regime for τ. Calculations are performed for the flame position in a one-dimensional computational domain with inflow-outflow boundary conditions, as a function of the inlet velocity U_I and for stoichiometric fuel–air premixtures. The response of the flame position, L_F, to U_I shows distinct stabilisation regimes. For single-stage ignition fuels, at low U_I the flame speed exceeds U_I and the flame becomes attached to the inlet. Above a critical U_I value, the flame detaches from the inlet and L_f becomes extremely sensitive to U_I until, for sufficiently high U_I, the sensitivity decreases and L_f corresponds to the location expected from a purely autoignition stabilised flame. The transition from the attached to the autoignition regimes has a corresponding peak dL_f/dU_I value which is proposed to be a unique reference flame speed s_R for single-stage ignition fuels. For two-stage ignition fuels, there is an additional stable regime where a high-temperature flame propagates into a pool of combustion intermediates generated by the first stage of autoignition. This results in two peaks in dL_f/dU_I and therefore two reference flame speed values. The lower value corresponds to the definition of s_R for single-stage ignition fuels, while the higher value exists only for two-stage ignition fuels and corresponds to a high temperature flame propagating into the first stage of autoignition and is denoted

s_{R}^{^{'}}

. Finally, a transport budget analysis for low- and high-temperature radical species is also performed, which confirms that the flame structures at

U_{I} = s_{R}

and

U_{I} = s_{R}^{^{'}}

do indeed correspond to premixed flames (deflagrations), as opposed to spontaneous ignition fronts which do not have a unique propagation speed.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Univ. of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW (Australia)

Sponsoring Organization:: Australian Research Council (ARC); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000; NA0003525

OSTI ID:: 1429779

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1465808
OSTI ID: 1495913

Report Number(s):: SAND--2017-9879J; SAND2017--5029J; 653242

Journal Information:: Combustion and Flame, Journal Name: Combustion and Flame Vol. 188; ISSN 0010-2180

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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